ATP BNP Paribas Open winner predictions & tennis betting tips: Russian on form

Free tennis tips, best bets and analysis for the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Where to watch

Amazon Prime, 7pm Thursday

Best bets

D Medvedev
3pts 15-8 Coral & Ladbrokes

F Auger-Aliassime
0.5pt each-way 33-1 Coral & Ladbrokes

Tournament preview

The absence of world number one Novak Djokovic makes Daniil Medvedev the headline act in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, and the red-hot Russian is a worthy favourite to live up to his top seed tag.

Medvedev made history and spoiled it simultaneously as he claimed his first Grand Slam title in last month’s US Open at the expense of Djokovic, who was bidding to win all four Majors in a single season.

The 25-year-old had twice finished runner-up in Grand Slam competition but made his breakthrough in New York, where he dropped only one set and downed Djokovic 6-4 6-4 6-4 in their title decider.

With that victory under his belt, Medvedev should be more than a match for the Serb in seasons to come and the 13-time tour-level titlist looks the man to beat in California.

The Russian showed no ill-effects from his US Open heroics when swatting aside Canada's Denis Shapovalov 6-4 6-0 to extend Team Europe’s lead in the Laver Cup just over a week ago, and he will be motivated to make hay while Djokovic is away.

The hard-court specialist appears to have avoided any of the dangerous lurkers and compatriot Andrey Rublev, who looks the trickiest opponent in his half of the draw, trails him 4-1 in their personal series.

Those looking for an each-way alternative should take a chance on classy Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

With Alexander Zverev potentially distracted with circling off-court problems and Stefanos Tsitsipas with a point to prove after a third-round exit at the US Open, Auger-Aliassime could be the player to capitalise.

The Canadian has progressed nicely this season and enjoyed a dream run to the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, where he defeated Roberto Bautista Agut, Frances Tiafoe and Carlos Alcaraz before bumping into eventual champion Medvedev.

The 21-year-old avoids the Russian top seed until the final this time around, so makes great each-way appeal having also dropped in a very winnable section of the draw.

Italian fifth seed Matteo Berretini is another worthy of consideration in the bottom half, but the disparity in price between him and Auger Aliassime looks too big to ignore.

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